Surveying instrument



P 1950 B. R. COLEMAN 2,523,255

SURVEYING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 2, 1948 1 INVENTOR.

flack 1?. Coleman A TTorvn/E) Pat entecl Sept. 19, 1 9 56 SURVEYING INSTRUMENT Buck It. Coleman, Bronte, Tex, as'signor of forty nine per cent to Bruce E. Bolander, Miles, Tex.

Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,764

. 2 Claims; (01.33-86) My invention relates to surveying instruments and more especially to equipment for the purpose of defining the cross-section of a standard terrace and for checking the height thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide surveying apparatus of the character indicated above which is adapted to be used by one man and which eliminates the use of engineering instruments such as tripods, contractor levels, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a surveying apparatus of the character indicated above, the use of which does not require engineering knowledge or any special skill and eliminates practically all figuring and plotting.

Another object of my invention is to provide a surveying apparatus of the character indicated above, which may be placed on the market at a price any one could afford to pay and which may be successfully used by any person that can add and multiply by two.

A further object of my invention is to provide a surveying apparatus of the character described above adapted to enable any farmer or contractor to ascertain that he has the amount of dirt in a terrace required by the U. S. Government to entitle him to payment by the Government.

Other objects of my invention not specifically mentioned may appear in the following specification describing my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is, however,.to be understood that my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the exact construction and combination of parts described in the specification and shown in the drawing, but that such changes and modifications may be made which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

In the several figures of the drawing, similar parts are designated by similar reference char actors and Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating an apparatus for surveying embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the small stake as herein comprised;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale of the large stake as embodied herein;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the ruler as herein employed;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 5; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view partly in sec- 2 tion and partly in elevation showing the several parts in nested assembly.

The apparatus forming the subject matter of the present invention for defining the cross section of and for checking the height of a standard terrace, comprises a ruler l0 preferably made from round metal of one quarter of an inch diameter. The rule is two feet long and is graduated in tenths of an inch, graduation marks El and corresponding numerals l2 being stamped in the ruler on two diametrically opposite sides thereof. The numerals from zero to twenty are arranged in rotation beginning at the upper end of the ruler. A small hole I2a is provided in the upper end portion of the ruler to receive a leather loop 121; or the like for carrying the ruler.

A small stake l 3 is preferably made from round metal of seven sixteenths of an inch diameter. The overall length of this small stake I3 is thirtytwo inches and a stop .14 is permanently and firmly secured to said stake exactly seven and three-quarters of an inch from the lower end of the stake l3. The end portion l5 of the stake I3 is pointed so that it can be driven easily into the ground to hold the stake I3 firmly in upright position. The stop l4 may consist of a washer orthe like of approximately three inch diameter with a centrally located hole of a diameter of seven sixteenths of an inch. The thickness of the stop I4 is preferably three sixteenths ofan inch. Two feet above the stop M, a hole l6 of one eighth of an inch. in diameter extends diametrically through the stake l3, for a purpose to be described later. An inverted cap H is secured permanently on the small stake l3. The cap I1 is preferably made from metal and has preferably an outside diameter of two inches, an inside diameter a little larger than oneand one half of one inch and a depth of one and one quarter of an inch. The small stake i3 extends:

centrally through the cap ll, which is located so that it abuts the top surface of the stop [4. The inverted cap serves a purpose to be described later.

A large stake S consists of a tubular upper portion l8 closed at its bottom end by a stop disk I9. A lower pointed stake portion 28 is secured centrally to the stop disk and extends downwardly therefrom. The lower stake portion 20 is preferably made from round metal, seven sixteenths of an inch in diameter and eight inches long and is adapted to be driven easily into the ground to support the large stake S securely in upright position. The tubular upper stake portion l8 has preferably an outside diameter of one and one half inches, an inside diameter of one and one quarter of an inch. It measures preferably two feet and two inches from the bottom surface of the stop disk I9 and is provided exactly two feet above that surface with a diametrically extending hole 2 I. At a convenient distance below the upper end of the tubular upper portion J8 of the large stake .S, va metal handle 22 or the like is secured to facilitate the carrying of this stake S or to enable it to be hung on a tractor (not shown) or the like, when the ap paratus is not in use.

A strong light string 23 is provided which is preferably twenty four to thirty feet long and must be strong enough to be stretched taut. It is preferably made from nylon or the like and is marked off in sections 24 of two feet length by coloring adjacent sections in alternating colors. The thickness of the string is such that it can be pushed through the holes l6 and 21 in the small and the large stake respectively.

When it is desired to' define the cross section and the height of a standard terrace T, the two stakes I3 and S are arranged in upright position at opposite sides of said terrace byforcing them into the ground until the stop I 4 and the stop disk 49 is located flatly on the ground so that the stakes extend upwardly in as near as possible vertical position. The string 23 is fastened in the holes 16 and 2| in the stakes l3 and S respectively so that it is stretched taut between the two stakes and parallel to the natural level of the ground. The distance between the string 23 and the ground is then measured by means of the ruler ID. This is held as nearly as possible in vertical position and the measurements are taken every two feet as marked off on the string. In the case illustrated in Figure 1, the first two readings will give zero, the next reading minus, proving that no earth has been placed to above the ground level at these points. The next measurement indicates that the round was raised four tenths of a foot, the next one shows one foot of piled up ground. Continue taking these measurements and write them down until no more ground above the ground level, which is two feet below the string 23, is found. Add all the positive readings and multiply: the total by two and the answer is the amount of dirt used in the terrace. To determine the height of the terrace T, multiply the largest reading, multiply it by twelve and divide it by ten and the 'result gives th height of the terrace in inches.

When the work is done, the string 2?, is taken off the stakes, and. the stakes are pulled out of the ground. The ruler ID and the string 23 are placed in the tubular portion 18 of the large stake S and the upper portion of the small stake I is inserted also in said tubular portion. The

'by the rod may be set up as a stake in cooperation with the tubular body, means carried by said rod adjacent to the pointed end for limiting the penetration of the rod into the ground, the

rod being adapted to be introduced from the other end thereof into the open end of the tubular "body, the said means carried by the rod being adapted to engage and close the said open end of the tubular body, a .cord for connecting the tubular body and the stake together, means for connecting the ends of th cord to the'tubular body and stake, and a measuring device adapted to be housed within the tubular body and maintained therein by said stake carried means.

2. An apparatus for determining the cross section and the height of a terrace above the natural ground level including a pair of stakes adapted to be pushed into the ground on opposite sides of the terrace, a string adapted to be secured to and extended tautly parallel to the ground level between the two stakes at a certain distance above said level, a ruler for measuring the distance between the string and the top of the terrace at certain places along the string, one of said stakes comprising a, tubular upper main portion closed on its lower end by a stop disk and a pointed rod like lower portion adapted to be pushed into the ground, the other stake being formed by a rod having a pointed lower end, and an inverted .cup surrounding the rod adjacent to said pointed lower end, the upper rod portion being adapted to be inserted into the tubular stake portion and the cup being adapted to close the upper end of said tubular portion.

BUCK R. COLEMAN.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 419,711 Rogers Jan. 21, 1890 854,916 Stoner May 28, 1907 2,149,360 Prout -l Mar. '7, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 46,489 Holland July 16, 1939 

